what if → Benny Rodriguez

chapter 13 | slip n slide

June 30th 2019

ALL THE SANDLOT BOYS and i had split up, hoping to get the jobs done faster. I had went with Bertram and Yeah-yeah to load up on soap.

We all three stared at the shelves full of soap, wondering the difference.

"Do you think it would make much of a difference if we got hand soap or dish soap?" Bertram scratched his head.

"i can't imagine there would be much of a difference, but i know i've been wrong in the past." Yeah-yeah replies.

"i don't think anyone would argue that." Bertram said under his breath, earning a punch to the arm from Yeah-yeah.

"let's just get a bunch of big bottles of it. doesn't matter which kind i guess but let's not bother with the little bottles." i say, tucking the hair that had been in my face behind my ear.

Yeah-yeah walks over to the shelf, scoops up a bunch of soap bottles, and dumps them in the cart.

"woah woah woah." Bertram grabs his arm when he turns around to get more. "we don't need that many dude."

"Yeah yeah we do!" Yeah-yeah protests. "we could run out quickly.

"Bertram's right yeah-yeah." i speak up, "we technically don't even need soap. it just makes it more slippery and the suds are cool too. we definitely don't need more than that."

"Okay." he gives up with a look of defeat painted across his face.

we pay for the soap, and head to Benny's house.

-

"what took you guys so long?" Squints throws his arms up in the air when he spots us approaching.

I let out a sigh of exhaustion. we had to walk all the way to town and back just to get soap in the beating summer heat.

"oh give us a break." i pant, "all you had to do was get a tarp from your garage."

"okay, okay," Benny stops us, "does everyone have the materials they said they would get?"

Yeah-yeah, Bertram, and i all walked over to Benny and dumped our soap-filled grocery bags in front of him. Kenny helped Squints drag a giant tarp over, and Timmy and Tommy just stood there holding up their inflatable little pool.

"ok good. let's get to work."

it took us about a half an hour to just get the tarp situated on the side of Benny's lawn. everyone had different ideas and opinions on where it would go and how it would connect to the little pool at the bottom.

in honor of the last day of June, we all decided to make a giant slip and slide on the slight hill that's on the side of Benny's house.

apparently DeNunez had made a summer bucket list and this was on it. i just went along with what the rest of the guys were doing without question, considering they had been planning this early summer before i got back.

when we finally had the tarp connected to the little pool at the bottom, Benny went to go get hoses, asking everyone else to start soaping the tarp to make it slippery.

at this point I was wondering where Harper was. we had told her to come at noon and it was now 1:30. but i decided to push the thought away and not worry too much about it. it doesn't affect me one way or another.

"Hey Brinley!" I turn my head to look at Bertram. out of no where he squirts soap all over me.

"ahhh!" i shriek, "Bertram!!" i was angry, but everyone else was laughing.